Resilient wheel



Patented July 3, 1923.

1 1,460,783 PATENT forties. 'f

Amuse simmers, or AKRON, euro;-

assumes WHEEL.

Application filed November 26, 1921. 'seriarnatimzs. v

To a'ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AR HUR BAfrMAN, a citizen of the United States,vAkron, in the eounty of Summit and S tate of Ohio, have invented certainnew and use: ful Improvements in Resilient Wheels, "of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to a resilient wheel for Vehicles. i 3

A prime object isrto provide a wheel wh ch includes meanseflicient-ly;substituting the resilient qualities of a pneumatic tire inorder to overcome the well-known troubles and objections due to theirliability to puncture and blow-out] Another important object is toprovide a wheel havinga body of rubber forming the major part thereofand with resilient metallic devices disposed in recesses providedtherethrough. I f

Still another object is to provide a wheel having saidfresili'entmetalli'e 1 devices arranged in rows or paths-conoentricwith the axis ofthe wheel-and with the devices of the inner rowpreferably smaller insizeand on lines passing radially intermediate the devices ofthe outerrow; q

A furtherobject is-tjo provide a wheel having a resilient body providedwith .end-

,3 less, open metallic springs withretainin and reinforcing lugsthereon, preferre and hingedly connected leaves,'1f des red.

A still further object is to provide a wheel 1 having a resilient bodycontaining resilient- 5 rnetallicsprings, side plates toprevent .dis-.placement thereof, a hub; for the body mounting the side platesyarmsonthe hub to reinforce th body and retaining means passing through theplates and arms and through 4o. the plates and body.

Additional objects and advantages tion following taken in conneetionwith ac c ornpanying' drawingsillustratlng preferred embodiments. v 1 ip said drawings line 4.-l: of Figure 3;

residin at appear from a considerationof the descrip- Figure 1 -,-is afront. 1 levation of a wheel;

s sectional view 011 the.

Figure 5 is a central hori zontal sectional View through one of thespring devices; a

Figure 6is a fragmentary sid'eelevation,- similar .to Figure 3,'butillustrating; the use of a modifie'dform of spring; I

. Figure 7 is a detail perspective Iviewf. of one of the springs usedin. the form df Figure6;- Figure 8 is aside elevation of a third form ofspring which maybe used and V i i; j Figure 9 is a side elevation;partlyb'roken away, of a fourth form of spring capableo'f use. Likereference characters designate like or corresponding parts in thedifferent views where they-appear.

In reducing the invention to practice as illustrated in Figures '1 to5finclusive'ya body 10 consisting of a rather. thickelastic disk, as ofrubber, is provided and adapted to have tractiondirectly' on. the groundat its 1 clrcumference or tread surfaee"11'.'- -Fitted snugly within acentral cruciform or other suitably. shaped slot 1-2-providedtransversely of the bod'y 10,is a metallic or other hub structure13;"cons'isting of" arms- 14 anaxle-bearingopening 15 and'exten's'ionsleeves 16 about said opening integral with and projecting laterallyfrom arms 14. Tlhe number of arms 14 may be varied" and if desirecil,other forms'of hub Structures may be 1158 1 a Side plates 17 aredisposed one against each side; of body 10 and they have" openings 1-8for projection of sleeves 16 there'- through in order to position and,mount them- The a r fplate's 17- is less than the diameter of the body10 so that said body will extend beyond said'plates and its resiliv entjor yielding action ;will'b'e unrestricted by the plates.

7 Transverse bolts {or removable fastening-s 19 pass through suitableopenings in the plates 17 and arms 14 while .simiIarloolts or fasteningsat 20 pass through said plates 1'00 17 j and the body 10'intermediatethe arms 14;, which particularly reinforceslthe point- 7 edportions of the body-at its core orhubprovided incidental to the"cutting of the cruciform slot 12. i u i In; a row concentric withtheaxis of the wheeL-as'uitable number of slots orreeesses I 21, adjacentthe treadof" the body' 10; are provided throughsaid' hody 'fmm idetoside, A row of recesses concentric with said- 1 1 recesses are providedrelatively close thereto, completely through the body and between therecesses 21 and the wheel hub as at 22. It is to be noted that therecesses 21 and 22 are radially disaligned so that the recesses 21 crossradial Iines'pasSing through Webs 23 between recesses 22, and therecesses 22 cross radial lines passing through webs 23 between recesses21.

Any suitable type of cushioning springs are disposed in contact with thewalls of recesses 21 and 22 to increase the resiliency of the wheel. Thesprings of Figures 1, 4 and ,5 are shown as normally tensioned and madefrom flexible strip or ribbon metal and comprise substantially arcuateleaves 24 with terminal arcuate hook portions 24, to the free ends ofwhich as at 25, arcuate leaves 26 are suitably pivoted on transverseaxes. Said hook ends 24' tend to reinforce and increase the tension of aspring of this type.

Positioning and retaining lugs 27 may optionally be employed on theleaves 24 and 26 to overlap opposite sides of the body 10 and aredisposed in correspondingly shaped depressions in said body. Theelasticity of said body 10 will enable the springs when equippedwithzlugs .27 to be inserted and removed. c

In use, the tread 11 travels directly on the ground and the wheels'atbody 10 and the spring leaves 24 and 26 absorb shocks and jars impartedby obstacles encountered in the path of travel and uneven road con- Iditions. The wheel is substantially rigid at the hub or core due to theuse of structure 13 and'the; presence of bolts 19 and 20. Body 10primarily yields beyond said bolts.

The plates 17 positively prevent transverse displacementof springs 24and 26 yet offer no resistance to yielding of the body beyond saidbolts. No limitation to the use of the spring devices of Figures3, 4 and5 is to be implied as the construction may be Varied. For instance, inFigure 6 the springs are cylindrical tubes 28 and 29 and their retainingrecesses in body 10 are shaped to correspond. Said springs 28 and 29 aredisposed in the paths of concentric circles and springs 29 are smallerthan springs 28 and in staggered relation thereto similar to therelation of the springs in the previous figures. The other partscorrespond to and have the same reference numerals as in the previousfigures applied thereto. One of the tubular springs is detailed inFigure 7. Referring to Figure 8, another modified. form of spring whichmay be used in the recesses of body 10 is illustrated at 30, being madein a single piece and substantially similar in general shape to thespring of gigure 3, but lackingthe' hooks 24' and lugs Still anothermodified form of cushioning spring is shown in Figure 9. It may haverelatively movable 'arcuate leaves 31 with overlapping end flanges 32.Coil springs 33 resisttrelative movement of said leaves toward eachother. As one means to prevent lateral displacement of leaves 31, one ofthem has a barrel 34 receiving a spring 33 and a stud 35 extending intothe spring from the other leaf. Any desired number of said springs 33may have barrel 34 and studs 35 associatedwith them.

Other changes within its spirit and scope may be made in carrying theinvention into practice.

Iclaim:

1. A resilient wheel having a resilient body having substantiallytransverse recesses, therein, spring means in said recesses, said springmeans subtanti'ally throughout theirmargins'intimatelycontactingwith'the walls ofthe recesses, and retaining lugs on said spring meansdisposed at an angle to said walls and overlapping said body."

2. A resilient wheel having a resilient body, springs in said bodyhaving leaves,

said leaves having hook ends, and leaves '4. A resilient wheel having aresilient body provided With substantially transverse recesses, springsin said recesses and substantially throughout their margins intimatelycontacting with thecwalls of the] recesses, a row of springs equal innumber to and intermediate said springs and the center of the wheel,said body having second substantially transverse recesses, the springsof said row -being disposed in the last men tioned recesses andsubstantially throughout their margins intimately contacting with thewalls of the last mentioned recesses, and the springs of said rowcrossing radial lines passing intermediate the first mentioned springs.

"5. A resilient wheel having a" resilient body provided withsubstantially"transverse recesses, springs in certain of said recessesand substantially throughout their margins intimately contacting withthe walls of the cumferentially'of the wheel than the first mentionedsprings.=

120 recesses, a spring intermediate said springs 6. A resilient wheelhaving a resilient body provided with substantially transverse recesses,rows of springs concentric with the center of said body anddisposed' insaid recesses and substantially'throughout their margins intimatelycontacting with the walls thereof, the springs of the innermost rowbeing smaller than the other springs in a direction circumferentially ofthe body, and the springsofthe inner row crossing radial lines passingintermediate the springs of the first mentioned row.

" 7. A "wheel having a disk-like body of rubber, said bodyhaving a slotat its cent er, aghub snugly disposed in said slot, arm's'exatendingfrom said hub, said hub having collars extending laterally beyond thearms,

said body having laterally disposed recesses,

springs in said recesses having leaves in contact with the wallstherein, said leaves being pivoted together, certain of said leaveshav-V ing hook terminalsglugs extending from said leaves to overlap saidbody, side-plates for and of less diameter than said body, said collarsextending through said side plates,

bolts passing through said side plates and said arms, and bolts passingthrough said side plates and vsaid body intermediate said s. A: wa -havng a resilient disk-like.

body provided with a slot at its center, a

tending from saidfhub, said; body having laterally disposed recesses,springs in said, recesses substantially throughouttheir lengthintimately contacting with the; walls, of the and means'to secure saidhub together.

hub snugly disposedinsaidslot, arms exrecesses, side plates for and ofless diameter 7- than said; b'ody vextending from said hubindependentof-and overlapping said springs;

side plates and said 4 9. A wheel having Ia resi lient-disk l-ikerecesses length intimately contacting with the [Walls oftherecessesyside plates for and of'less having openings occupied 'bysaidcollars,

50 diameter than said-body, said side plates said side plates beingindependent of and I I overlapping said-springs, and means to sei curesaid plates and hub together.

In testimony whereof afl'ix my signature.

' ARTHUR E. BAUMAN.

